Oil-tank.



w. c; MERRILL. OIL TANK.

APPLICATION FILED MAIL3II I9I5- 1,251,801. Patented Jan. 1,1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIS G. MERRILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE MERRILL PROCESS COMPANY OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. COB- ronarron or mssacnusm'rs To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Wnms C. of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil- Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in oil tanks, and one of its ob]ects is to liquefy or render less viscous the heavy oils of low specific gravity to facilitate the flow and movement of the same.

Another object is to provide means for heating the contents of the tank in varying quantities to meet the demands upon the tank, in distinction to the present method of heating all the contents of the tank, which is accompanied with waste and attendant 'expense resulting in the ineflicient heating of the heavy oils which fails to produce the necessary fluidity of the material to cause it to flow easily and readily from the tank.

These and other objects are carried out by the mechanism hereinafter described and shown in the drawings.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a construction embodying my invention:

Figure l is a top plan view illustrating the heating chamber in the bottom of the oil tank.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the oil tank partly broken away to show the inter or with the oil heating chamber in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end view taken on the line Y-Y, Fig. '1, and showing the manifold pipe arrangement for the circulation of the circulating heating medium for heatmg the oil in the heating chamber.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view through the inner end of the heating chamber at the inlet port.

I Specification 0! Letter: Intent.

Application filed March 81, 1915. Serial No. 18,268.

OIL-TANK.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

its inner end the chamber B has an inlet port D to which leads the hollow swinging arm C swiveled to the coupling-piece E on the chamber casing. At its outer end the chamber B has an outlet from which leads the dlscharge pipe P controlled by the valve Q. On one side of the outlet of the chamber is the manifold H into which leads the plpe G, and on the opposite side of the outlet 1s the manifold J from which leads the pipe K. From the branch pipes M of the mamfold H heating ipes F extend through the length of the c amber B and back to the branch pipes L of the manifold J. The circulating heating fluid medium enters through the pipe G thence through the mamfold H into the pipes M through the plpes F on one side of the heating chamber and back through the pipes F on the opposite side to the pipes L thence to the manifold J and out through the pipeK to the source of supply and circulation.

This chamber B for heating the oil in varying quantlties is supplied with oil from the tank through the swinging arm C'communicating with the interior of the chamber B through the port D, and this arm C is adapted to be sw to various elevations depending upon the eight of the oil in the tank, so. that its upper open end is adapted to receive the oil and supply it to the chamber B. This swinging arm 0 is raised and lowered to different levels by a rope N passing around the idler O on a suitable winch adapted to be manually operated. When it is desired to draw the Heated oil from the heating chamber B, the valve Q, is o ened and the oil passes out freely throug the pipe P in transit, as it has been rendered more mobile and flows freely as the temperature to which it has been subjected renders it thin and less viscous, which facilitates its flow and movement.

The oil coming from the wells settles in the tanks, so that the water, sediment, dirt and other impurities go to the bottom and the better, lighter and freer flowing quality of oil is left at the top and by means ofthe" adjustable swinging arm the oil is taken from the upper level as the level gradually lowers. In case of fire the rope burns and the arm C drops to the bottom, and such of the oil is saved by the pumping machinery as is possible.

It is t6 be observed that the volumetric capacity of the heating chamber B is very small as compared with the volumetric capacity of the storage tank. It is not the purpose of the heating chamber to heat the through the conducting chamber to heat the fluid flowing through said chamber.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank of large volumetric capacity for storing liquid, an elongated casing ex-- entire contents of the tank, but is to heftendihg across the bottom of the tank to only the comparatively small quantity of fluid that enters the chamber through the hollow swinging arm C, so that the fluid will discharge freely from the tank through the heating chamber.

While I have described my invention for useon storage-tanks, (yet it will be understood that it Is adapte to uses on'other apparatus Such as tank cars, tank ships, etc., and further it will be understood that While I have described the invention in connection with the heating of heavy oils that it may be used with equal facility on other substances, such as coal tar, asphaltic oils, molasses, other viscous material and any materials which require heat to properly liquefy or render the same less viscous to facilitate the ready flow and movement of same,

Having thus described the nature of my invention and'set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

form an extended conducting chamber in the lower part of the tank with said chamber of small volumetric capacity as compared with the tank, said conducting chamber having at its inner end a port and having at its outer end an exit to the exterior of the tank, a hollow swinging arm communicating with the port at the inner end of the chamber and operating to carry the fluid from an upper level in the tank through the port into the chamber, and heating pipes extending through the conducting chamber to heat the liquid flowing through said chamber. I

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank of large volumetric capacity for storing liquid, an elongated casin extending across the bottom of the tan to form' an extended conducting chamber in the lower part of the tank with said chamber of small volumetric capacity as compared with the tank, said conducting rhamher having at its inner end a port communieating with the interior of the tank and having at its outer end an exit to the exterior of the tank, manifolds on opposite sides of the exit of the conducting chamber, and heating pipes leading from the manifold on one side of the exit through the conducting chamber to the manifold on the opposite side to heat the fluid flowing through the conducting chamber. I

Intestimony whereof, I havesigned my name to this specification this 29th day of March, A. D. 1915.

- WILLIS C. MERRILL. 

